Dial remote control system



Dec 3&1 47 J. S. La GRAND 2,433,376

y DIAL REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Nov. 21, 1945,

IN V EN TOR. JESSE 5. E GMA/7 YURAEY Patented Dee. so, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE DIAL REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM Jesse S. Le Grand, Nutley, N. J., assignor to Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, New p York, N. Y., a corporation o! Delaware 'Application November 21, 1945, Serial No. 630,067 7 Claims. (Ci. 313-21) 'I'his invention relates to a control system o to control a remote device.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved remote `control system.

Another object is the provision of an improved control system in which theposition of a continuously rotatable member as for example, a wafer type electric switch, or other instrument, is remotely controlled by pulse means, particularly one employing only a single line and return connection.

Another object is the provision of a remote control system wherein the control instrument is a modiiled form of the rotatable dial switch used in automatic telephone systems and wherein the dial has positions corresponding to the positions ofthe governed instrument and actuation oi' the dial from any of said positions tothe finger stop will cause pulses to be transmitted to the governed instrument to move the governed instrument to the corresponding position and in which the stop is caused to move in response to the pulses transmitted. i,

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved rotatable dial instrument for producing pulses, and particularly one adapted for use in a remote control system.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent and the invention will be best understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, reference being had to the drawings, in which theA ligure is a schematic diagram of a remote control system embodying my invention.

In the system illustrated, there are for example, twelve positions l-12, of the dial I3 forming part of the dial or governing instrument Il, and

the governed instrument II, which may be of the continuously-rotating type of wafer switch, likewise has twelve corresponding positions, I' through I2', to which the switch shaft- I6 may be turned in response to the operation of the governing or dial instrument Il. The labeled positions of the dlal I3 are visible through openings I1 in the dial and are made on a ilxed portion oi the dial instrument I4. The number ordialing holes I1 is equal to the numberorpositions oi the wafer switch I5, with the dialing holes I1 and the positions of the wafer switch having the same angular separation. The dial Il is self-returning and is adapted to be'manually rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, returning in a clockwise direction and during the course of its -return. producing pulses whose number depends upon the amount it has been manually rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. Thus for example, if the dial has been rotated through three positions, it will produce three pulsesJ as it returns to rest. The dial instrument I 4 in this respect is similar to the conventional automatic dial telephone although there is nolift-hook switch and no microphone or receiver. The method of producing pulses by the rotation of the dial may be similar. The pulses are produced by the opening and closing of a switch I8. Unlike the conventional dial instrument, the dial instrument Il has a movable stop lo arranged adjacent the periphery of the dial and adapted to engage the ilnger to prevent it from going beyond the stop. Thev stop is adapted to rotate into various different positions around the periphery of dial I3 between two adjacent numbers as for example, asindicated between 3 and 4; 5 and 6, etc., The linger stop I9 is adapted to be movedin only one direction which is clockwise, and opposite the direction in which the dial I3 is rotated.

'A stepping relay 20 is used to move the ringer stop I9 in a circle around the periphery of dial I3. Asa pulse of energy is applied to the stepping relay, it moves the linger stop one position as for example, from a position between 3 and 4 to a position between 4 and 5. For each pulse received, the stepping relay will move the finger stop the equivalent of one position and in the embodiment illustrated, it would require twelve pulses to move the finger stop completely around the dial back to its originalpositlon. The stepping relay 20 is connected to rotatethe dial by suitable mechanical means such as links, etc., shown schematically and designated by the numeral 2I.

A similar stepping relay 221s employed to rotate the shaft I6 of the switch I5, the stepping relay 22 rotating the shaft I6 in a clockwise direction one position for each pulse. The magnetic coils of stepping relays 2n and 22 are connected in series with switch I8 in the dial instrument Il and in series with a source of power 23 by means of only a single line 24 and return 2l. l

The operation of the system is as follows. Assuming that the switch IB is at position I2', the stop I9 will be in a position between 1l and 12 of kthe dial I3. If position 4 were dialed, the dial be- It position 9 were now dialed, it would be possible to rotate the dial nve positions before the stop was reached. Upon release. tive pulses would be fed to each of the stepping relays, thus moving the switch l5 to position 9' and thestop to rest between positions 8 and 9. If position 8 were now dialed, it would be possible to rotate the dial eleven positions counter-clockwise before the stop was reached. Upon release, eleven pulses would be fed to each stepping relay, thus moving the switch I5 to position 8' and the stop to rest between positions 7 and 8.

Thus it will be seen that by inserting the finger in any hole of the dial and rotating the dial up to the ringer stop, the governed instrument or switch I 5 will be moved into a position corresponding to the number of the hole. Thus the position of the stop on the dial also indicates the position of the governed instrument.

While I have described the details of one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that numerous changes may be made in these details. For example, as many positions as desired may be employed instead of the twelve here illustrated. The governed instrument may be other than a switch, and as many governed instruments as desired may begcontrolled by a single governing instrument. Other pulse-responsive means than the stepping relays may be employed for actuation of the iinger-stop moving means and the governed instrument.

Accordingly, while I have described above the principles of my invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of my invention as deined in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A pulse-generating dial instrument comprising a manually-rotatable dial, means responsive tothe rotation of said dial for producing pulses, the number of pulses produced depending upon the degree of rotation of said dial, a movable 1inger stop arranged adjacent one position on the periphery of said dia1 and adapted to stop the finger rotating the dial from passing said position, and pulse-responsive means for moving said nger stop to diierent positions about the periphery of the dial in accordance with the number of pulses received thereby.

2. A pulse-generating instrument according to claim 1 further including means for transmitting pulses from said pulse-producing means to said ringer-stop moving means.

3. A pulse-generating dial instrument comprising a manually-rotatable dial, means responsive to the rotation of said dial for producing pulses, the number of pulses produced depending upon the degree of rotation of said dial, a movable iinger stop arranged adjacent one position on the periphery of said dial and adapted to stop the :linger rotating the dial from passing said position, and pulse-responsive means for moving said linger stop to diierent positions adjacent the periphery of the dial in accordance with the number of pulses received thereby; a pulse-responsive controlled device; and means for transmitting pulses from said pulse-producing means to said controlled device and the finger-stop moving means.

4. A remote control system for controlling a governed instrument by a remotely-located, manually-operated, pulse-generating governing instrument, said governing instrument comprising a manually-rotatable self-returning dial, the degree of rotation thereof determining the number of pulses generated thereby, means associated with said dial indicating a plurality of positions thereon, a, movable nger stop associated with said dial, the amount of manual rotation oi' said dial from any of said positions being limited by the position of the finger stop. pulse-responsive means for moving said linger stop adjacent diiferent ones of said positions according to the number of pulses received, said governed instrument being likewise responsive to pulses, and means for transmittingy the pulses from the governing instrument to the governed instrument and to the linger-stop moving means.

5. A remote control system according to claim 4 wherein said governed instrument includes a continuously rotatable member adapted to rotate through as many 'different positions as said dial, and a stepping relay arranged to rotate said member to advance it a single position for each pulse applied to said stepping relay.

6. A remote control system according to claim 4 wherein said governed instrument includes a continuously rotatable member adapted to rotate through as many diilerent positions as said dial and a stepping relay arranged to rotate said member to advance it a single position for each pulse received. and said means for moving said iinger stop includes a second stepping relay in series with said rst stepping relay, said second stepping relay being arranged to advance said finger stop a single position for each pulse.

7. A remote control system according to claim 4, wherein said trasnmitting means consists solely of a single conductive line and return.

JESSE S. LE GRAND. 

